BrianOnAI logoBrianOnAI

provisioning

What It Means

Provisioning is the process of setting up and granting access permissions to users, applications, or AI systems so they can use specific resources, data, or capabilities. It's essentially the digital equivalent of giving someone keys to certain rooms in a building - determining what they can access and what actions they can perform.

Why Chief AI Officers Care

Poor provisioning creates major security vulnerabilities where AI systems might access sensitive data they shouldn't see, or conversely, get blocked from data they need to function properly. CAIOs must ensure AI models and automated systems have precisely the right level of access - not too much that creates risk, not too little that hampers performance.

Real-World Example

When deploying a customer service AI chatbot, provisioning determines whether it can access customer purchase history (probably yes), payment card details (definitely no), and internal employee records (definitely no). The provisioning process sets these boundaries before the AI goes live.

Common Confusion

People often confuse provisioning with authentication - but provisioning is about what you can do once you're in the system, while authentication is just proving who you are to get in the door.

Industry-Specific Applications

Premium

See how this term applies to healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government, tech, and insurance.

Healthcare: In healthcare, provisioning involves granting clinicians, staff, and AI systems appropriate access to electronic health ...

Finance: In finance, provisioning refers to both access management for financial systems and the accounting practice of setting a...

Premium content locked

Includes:

  • 6 industry-specific applications
  • Relevant regulations by sector
  • Real compliance scenarios
  • Implementation guidance
Unlock Premium Features

Technical Definitions

NISTNational Institute of Standards and Technology
"The granting of access rights and executional privilege to an agent (human or machine) within an application(s) or system(s)."
Source: IEEE_Guide_IPA

Discuss This Term with Your AI Assistant

Ask how "provisioning" applies to your specific use case and regulatory context.

Start Free Trial